


i don't love you the way i did before

by maki_senpai



Series: RinHaru Week 2020 [5]
Category: Free!
Genre: Again, Day 6, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Reminiscing, RinHaru Week 2020, Rinharu Week, all fluff, because they just love each other so much, literally all fluff, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:41:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28401066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maki_senpai/pseuds/maki_senpai
Summary: It isn’t often that they take the time and reflect on the past few years, too preoccupied with the present and future to just lay back and reminisce. But it’s not like they have to either. Their journey is a long one, both in their careers and in themselves. They just knew how far they’ve come and would remind each other in subtle ways throughout the day. Be it a simple note left on the fridge, a simple gesture after a long day, a random text about something that reminded them of the other. Their lives were intertwined and walked the same path despite the difference in their natures. But it worked, they made it work.
Relationships: Matsuoka Rin/Nanase Haruka
Series: RinHaru Week 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2073357
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25
Collections: Rin & Haru Week





	i don't love you the way i did before

**Author's Note:**

> RinHaru Week 2020, Day 6: Blue + Red Prompt - Evolution & Transformation

Relationships transform and evolve every day. It's subtle but it happens. It's only noticed once people look back and reminisce. Rin and Haru discover that on a random night where they cuddle in bed, lazily drawing circles on each other's arms. They were on break from training and the crazy lives they've built for their dream. The winter season gives them time to recuperate their bodies and relax themselves physically and mentally; just time to breathe and be. 

"Na, Haru…" Rin calls softly, careful not to disturb the comfortable peace that surrounded them. 

"Hm?" 

"Do you think we've changed? Not individually, but together?" 

Haruka halts his smooth movements on Rin's arm for a moment, pondering the question and thinking back to the beginning of their relationship as a whole. He let the comfortable silence creep in, making Rin patiently wait for an answer. 

Memories of their first relay in elementary school, starting off as strangers, Rin transferring to Iwatobi Elementary School with Haruka finding him rather bothersome. The relay they won that year, feeling a new spread of warmth in his heart because of Rin. Rin telling him and Makoto he's leaving, the warmth in his heart intensifying and squeezing at the same time. "Free." "For the team." Haruka, missing the boisterous presence of a sharp-toothed grin. Rin coming back that winter of their first year of middle-school, the pain they caused each other that day that haunted them until high school where Haru realized his feelings for Rin and vice versa. Then their reunion, the race, the impromptu relay, the reconciliation, the rebuilding of their friendship, sleepovers, bonding, promises made. Races here and there, the cherry blossom pools (both versions,) their fight about futures and dreams and the way they feared that they wouldn’t be able to come back to it. Then Australia, sharing a bed and confessions that led up to their years of love that knew no bounds. Long-distance, All-Japan, the national team, the Olympics. And throughout all that, the two of them grew together and loved each other more than they did the day before. They were always changing, always moving forward. 

“We’ve changed a lot, I would say.” Haruka finally answers, his soothing voice melding with the forgotten silence. And Rin smiles because like Haru, he remembered their little and big moments that led up to where they are now. 

“I think we have.” He responds, “I can’t believe it took us sharing a bed to admit our feelings to each other.” 

“We did always have trouble communicating back then.” 

“But we’re better now.”

“Way better.” 

“I guess we just never really noticed the little changes until we looked back, huh?” 

Haruka hummed, “We are pretty occupied.”

“Hm. I guess so. I don’t even remember when we started texting each other grocery lists...or actually… I don’t even remember us doing grocery lists.” 

“Or doing each other’s chores.” 

“Which reminds me, thank you for doing the laundry even though it was my turn, Haru.”   
  


“I knew you were tired. It’s no big deal.” 

Rin places a soft kiss on Haruka’s temple and pulls him closer into his arms. 

“Who would have thought we’d be like this now?” Rin mumbles mostly to himself than to his partner, who answered anyway.

“Apparently everyone except us.” 

Rin snorts and Haru chuckles, burying his face into his boyfriend’s strong chest where he hears the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, lulling him into serenity. 

“Fine, between us, did you think we’d be laying together like this back then?” Rin asks instead.

“Not… really. I didn’t think you wanted me this way.” 

“Well, in case you didn’t know by now, I only ever wanted you this way.” 

Haruka tilts his head up and kisses the side of Rin’s jaw softly, lingering there longer than a peck. It sent shivers down Rin’s spine, feeling all the love and care Haru had for him through such a simple gesture. 

“We went from communication troubles to being able to understand each other through looks and gestures, didn’t we?” Rin asks fondly and Haruka replies with another kiss, seemingly supporting Rin’s question. 

“I’m really proud of us.” Rin squeezes Haru tighter, their legs tangling together even more under their warm blanket. 

“I am too.” 

“In everything. I’m proud of how far we’ve come, you know? Taking home golds and silvers, beating records  _ together _ . World records. We really… we really took on the world.” 

“Together.” 

“Yeah… It just seems so surreal. It feels like it was just yesterday that you, me, Makoto and Nagisa were sitting at the beach, looking at the stars and only dreaming of these things to happen.” 

“You told me to take on the world with you then.” 

“And you did.”

“I’m glad I did.”

“I’m not just proud of us for that. But in our relationship too. We’ve been through so much together and yet… here we are in  _ our _ home, on  _ our _ bed. Where I can wake up next to you and we fall into this routine that  _ we  _ made for  _ us. _ We used to be so stubborn and difficult with each other, but looking back now, we just took all of those and learned from it, growing together and evolving.” 

Rin sniffles and Haruka smiles fondly against his warm exposed skin and starts to rub soothing lines down Rin’s back. He continues, 

“We’ve just come so far together. Even with the distance before. All the changes leading up to now… I just… god, Haru… I love you so much.” 

Haru looks up and finds that Rin is already looking at him with a loving gaze behind glossy carmine eyes. It was almost overwhelming- the love that was being poured out at 2 A.M. He doesn’t break his gaze from his lover’s as he spoke. 

“I don’t love you the way that I did before, Rin.” Haruka says with his steady and calming voice, confidence lacing every note of it. If it weren’t for the way he was looking at Rin, he would have stiffen up and feel his world come tumbling down. So instead, he smiles, silently encouraging Haru to continue. 

“Because that changed too. It evolved; transforming into something that is just  _ ours _ . Something more, something beyond love if there is one. And whatever it is, we discovered it together, breaking past whatever limit there is.” 

Rin lets himself cry and absorb the rare words that come out of his partner’s mouth. Haruka holds him, bringing a hand up to wipe away the happy tears that couldn’t be contained. He leans and kisses Rin softly, as if to say ‘I love you’ without saying it. A kiss that seals their future together without saying it. Because they’ve gone past the need for words at this point in their lives. They’ve come to an understanding with each other, learning and growing together. Knowing each other as much as they knew themselves and maybe even more than that. Rin holds him close as his lips move in a familiar dance with Haru’s. 

It isn’t often that they take the time and reflect on the past few years, too preoccupied with the present and future to just lay back and reminisce. But it’s not like they have to either. Their journey is a long one, both in their careers and in themselves. They just knew how far they’ve come and would remind each other in subtle ways throughout the day. Be it a simple note left on the fridge, a simple gesture after a long day, a random text about something that reminded them of the other. Their lives were intertwined and walked the same path despite the difference in their natures. But it worked, they made it work. 

They pull away from the soft kiss and smile at each other like it was their first time doing such a thing. 

“Na, Haru, let’s go to Australia.” 

“Sure, but for what?” 

“Let’s get married. It’s allowed there and stuff… and I know we don’t really need some papers to tell us that-”

“Yes.”

“Really?”   
  


“I’d love nothing more.” 

Another kiss. This time with more giddiness and excitement for what’s to come. 

“So do we hyphenate our last names?” Rin asks after pulling away.

“I don’t mind being a Matsuoka.” 

Rin’s heart almost escaped it’s confines. 

“W-what if I don’t mind being a Nanase either?” 

“Let’s race tomorrow then.” 

“You’re on, Nanase. Loser takes the winner's last name?” 

Haruka smirks and Rin barely caught it in the moonlight that shone through their window, but that was enough to know his boyfriend agreed to the conditions. Either way, no matter what the outcome, the results will be the same in that they’ll still end up being together and getting married. 

But maybe Rin will swim a little harder tomorrow than he did at the Olympics. 

**Author's Note:**

> My [Twitter](https://twitter.com/SOUM4KI)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


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